Flood water is receding in the Chao Phraya River basin with dams discharging less water. The situation is expected to return to normal by the end of the month, the Royal Irrigation Department (RID) says.
RID deputy chief Thongplew Kongjun said Monday the department had reduced the amount of water being discharged from the Chao Phraya barrage in Chai Nat to 2,027 cubic metres per second, from 2,297 cu/m per second, which will ease flooding in low-lying areas of Chai Nat, Sing Buri, Ang Thong and Ayutthaya.
The Pasak Chonlasit dam in Lop Buri province also decreased the amount of water it is discharging from 60 million cu/m per day to 41 million cu/n. This will reduce flooding in Ayutthaya's Tha Rue and Bang Ban districts.
Also in Ayutthaya, less water is passing through the main water station in Bang Sai district, now flowing at 2,230 cu m per second, a far cry from its peak of 3,500 cu m per second.
"We are nearing the point of relief. The floods are easing and by the end of this month the situation will be normal again," Mr Thongplew said.
However, given the severe droughts of the past two years, farmers still need plenty of water to be stored for next summer, despite the levels of flooding witnessed so far this year.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha visited flooded areas in Ayutthaya recently and asked residents to be patient. He insisted the government would help flood victims.
Experts say the floods in low-lying areas of the Central Plains are a seasonal occurrence. Locals have adapted to flooding although rapid urban expansion has limited their ability to cope with the water.
Mr Thongplew said the department predicted the four major dams in the Chao Phraya River basin would hold a combined 9.6 billion cu/m of water by Nov 1, which is more than doubles the amount of water during the same period last year.
There is expected to be enough water to feed 6.8 million rai of second rice crops in the basin this year.
The department is also watching tropical storm Sarika, though it says it is not likely to have a substantial impact on the country.
Sarika, which is forecast to be downgraded to a tropical depression when it makes landfall in Vietnam tomorrow, will cause moderate rainfall in the East, South and Central Plains early next week.